Sleeper or stringer for railways.



No. 824,324. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

W. J. WILSON. SLBBPER 0R STRINGER FOR RAI'LWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.9, 1905.

E; Il l t i I :Ic il gli m ,llillllh c c E `Ba/l connection with Single rails.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SLEEPER OR STRINGER FOR :RA|LWAYS.

Speccationof Letters Patent.

l'atented June 26, 1906.

Application filed October 9, 1905. Serial No. 281.993.

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a Railway Sleeper or Stringer, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is -to provide a metal sleeper or Stringer for railways that Shall be light and cheap in construction, strong and durable, and in which the material is so distributed with respect to the crosssectional shape of such sleeper or Stringer as to slightly yield and yet effectually withstand the maximum weight of rolling-stock it is designed to support.

A further object of the invention is to provide the metal railway sleeper or Stringerv with peculiar means for securely attaching the rails thereto and so that there will be no possibility of such rails working loose or spreading.

lVith these principal objects in view the invention consists of a steel beam arched transversely to provide a raised support for the rails, in combination with blocks seated in the sleeper or Stringer to engage and clamp against the base-flanges of the rails and keys adapted to securely hold the blocks in Such clamped engagement with the rails, all as hereinafter particularly described, and specifically set forth in the appended'claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved railway sleeper or Stringer and showing the rails secured in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a modification of the rail-clamping device and adapted for use especially in Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

In carrying out my invention I employ, in the first place, a metal sleeper or Stringer comprising, in the present instance, a 7transversely-arched steel beam A of such Shape in cross-section as to provide at the upper part or head ofthe arch a flat horizontal seat a, upon which the rails rest, and at the Ilower part or base oppositelyprojecting lateral flanges a a, which form the bearings for the sleeper or Stringer, the intermediate portions `or side walls each presenting an upper short vertical portion a2 and a lower outwardlycurved portion a?, the latter extending to the aforesaid base-lianges. This provides a construction of steel beam which will yieldingly support the 'rolling-stock, and consequently provide an easy road-bed for bridges, Sac.

In order to provide the beam A to receive the rail-securing means hereinafter described, the upper part or seat a thereof has 4'openings a4 formed therein, into which the rail-clamping members are passed 'for engagement with the rails andbeam, while the vertical portions a2 of the side walls of the beam are pro? vided with openings a5, said latter openings being on a plane immediately below the-seat a and are adapted to receive the locking wedges or keys 'forming a part of such rail-securing means.

In Figs. 1, 2, .and '3 of the drawings I 'have shown the sleeper or Stringer .as supporting the running-rails'S S and the usual guardrailsS S adjacent thereto, and consequently have illustrated a series of clamping members adapted thereto. At the outer side of the running-rail is a clamping member or block C, having a pair of jaws c c at the outer Side thereof spaced .apart to receive the upper part or plate a -of the sleeper or Stringer and embrace the upper and lower edges thereof, while at its inner side said member or block is lprovided with upper and lower jaws c and c2, adapted to engage the flange of the rail and under side of plate a, respectively. In placing this member or block in position it is -lirst turned at a Slight angle, so that the jaw c2 may be passed through the opening a4 and under the plate a, after which the jaws c c are "brought on a 'line with the upper and lower edges of said plate and the member or 'block then slid rearward, so that said jaws will engage the vplate a, and support the device, it being understood, of course, that during this operation the rail Sis out of the way. The rail may then be placed in position by inserting the base-flange thereof under the jaw c. To :hold the rail securely, a second clamping member D 'is clamped against Athe opposite base-flange thereof. This clamping member D comprises a block having an upper laterally-'projecting head d, adapted to overlap the base-flange' of the rail, and a lower 'laterally-projecting jaw d, adapted to bear against the under side of the top of the sleeper or Stringer, said clamping member being passed through one of the openings fin said top. At the lower part of this clamping member and at the side thereof opposite the jaw d there is ajgroove or channel d2, which IOO.

IIO

, under Side' of the to when the clamping member.. is in place registers with the openings a5 in the opposite sides of the sleeper or Stringer. When thus arranged, a wedge-shaped locking-.key E is passed through the openings and channels and driven home, so as to firmly clamp the rail between the clamping members C and D. In order to secure the guard-rail in place, the clamping member D is provided with a jaw d3 opposite the head or jaw d, the former being adapted to overlap the usual short flange of the guardrail, while the opposite flange of said rail is engaged by a clamping member F, similar to the clamping member D-that is to say, having an upper laterally-project ing head or j aw f, a lower j aw f and a channel f2 opposite said lower jaw and adapted to receive a locking-key E, It will be seen that by this arrangement the rails are firmly and securely fastened to the sleeper or Stringer and without the use of bolts and nuts, as is usual, and the locking-keys being slightly wedge-Shaped will when driven tightly in place securely hold without' liability of becoming loose. The rails at each side of the track are secured in place by the Same style of clamping members, and where a guard-rail is not required the clamping member F may be substituted for the clamping member D. It will also be understood that the Same style of clamping member may be used for securing rails in place at switches, frogs, and other contingencies.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a modification of the clamping device, which in this instance consists of a plate G, adapted to eX-` tend under the top plate of the sleeper or Stringer and having at one end a clamping-j aw g, adapted to engage one edge of the baseiiange of the rail, and at the other end a depending flange g', engaged by the locking-key E, the opposite edge of the base-flange of the rail being engaged in this instance by means of a jaw c, preferably stamped from the top portion or plate a of the Stringer or tie. In this instance the body of the fastening-plate, including the depending flange g, is wider thanthe rail-engaging aw g thereof, and consequently wider than the openings through the top plate of the tie or Stringer, whereby the top plate of the latter is reinforced. In some instances the jaw a (illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6) may be used in lieu of the aw or clamping member C. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.)

Having thus described my invention, I claim l. In a sleeper or Stringer for railways, the

combination of a beam arched transversely,

clamping members having o posing jaws engaging the base-fianges of t e rails and the tively, and a locl ingrey passed transversely through the beam and adapted to hold the clamping members in place.

of the beam, -respec- 2. In a sleeper or Stringer for railways, the combination, of a beam arched transversely, clamping members having opposing jaws engaging the base-flanges of the rails and the under side of the top of the arched beam respectively, and horizontally-disposed wedgeshaped locking keys passed transversely through the beam and engaging the clamping members.

3. In a sleeper or Stringer for railways, the combination of a beam arched transversely, a clamping member engaging one edge of the base-flange of the rail, a second clamping member having opposing jaws engaging the other edge of the base-ange of the rail and the under side of the top of thebeam, respectively and provided with a groove or channel, and a wedge-shaped locking-key engaging the beam and the clamping member last mentioned in the groove or channel thereof.

4. In a sleeper or Stringer for railways, the combination with a beam arched transversely and provided with openings in the top and sides thereof, of a clamping member engaging the base-fiange of the rail at one edge thereof, a second clamping member having an upwardly-inclined jaw engaging the other edge of the base-fiange and having a portion depending below the top of the beam through the opening therein Said depending portion having a jaw engaging the under side of the top of the beam, and a horizontally-disposed wedge-shaped locking-key engaging the openings in the sides of the beam and bearing against the latter clamping member to clamp the rail tightly between the clamping members.

5. In a sleeper or Stringer for railways, the combination with a beam arched transversely and provided with openings in the top and sides thereof, of a clamping member engaging the base-flange of the rail at one edge thereof, a second clamping member engaging the other edge cf the base-flange and having a portion depending through the top and provided with a jaw bearing against the under Side of the latter, said depending portion also having a channel or groove, and a hori- Zontally-disposed wedge-sha` ed lockingdey engaging the openings in t e sides of the beam and the groove or channel in the clamping member, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a sleeper or Stringer for railways, the combination with a beam arched transversely and provided with openings in the top and sides thereof, of a clamping member comprising a block having the pair of beam-engaging jaws c c and opposite jaws c and c2; a second clamping member having upper and lower jaws at one side, the upper one of which engages the rail, and a groove or channel at the other side, the latter being on a line with the openings in the sides of the beam, and a horizontally-disposed wedge-shaped locking-key IOO IIO

engaging said openings and the groove or channel in the clamping member last mentioned.

7. In a sleeper or Stringer for railways, the combination with an arched beam having openings in the top and sides thereof, of the clamping member C having companion jaws at opposite sides thereof adapted to engage the rail and top of the beam, the clamping member D having the rail and beam engaging jaws, and the clamping member F also having rail and beam engaging jaws; together with the horizontally-disposed wedge-shaped locking-keys E passed transversely through the beam to engage the clamping members D and i 5 F and clamp them tightly against the rail, as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER J. WILSON. Witnesses J. W. BARNES, JOSEPH GLovER 

